


Bad Guys are Sometimes the Only Good Guys You Get--The Role Switch Job

by crayonbreakygal



Category: Leverage
Genre: AU, Bad guys, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Good Guys, Sex Toys, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 20:29:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17189876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crayonbreakygal/pseuds/crayonbreakygal
Summary: Sophie knows that if she pulls him in to her orbit, he will do anything she wants, even be a good guy.





	1. Annie Kroy

**Author's Note:**

> Total AU where Sophie and Nate switch their good guy/bad guy roles. He's still a mastermind, and Sophie's still a grifter. Takes place right before The Nigerian Job, season one if you were going to place it anywhere. And there's lots of sex, somewhat graphic too.

Chapter One--Annie Kroy

Annie Kroy. A force to be reckoned with.  At least that’s what she wanted to project as she stood directly in front of a mastermind. A criminal mastermind though. She had to remind herself of that piece.

He wasn’t out in public much, had turned into a recluse. His reputation though preceded itself.  If she was going to pull off what had been planned, she needed him on board one hundred percent. How to go about that? Appeal to his baser nature or go for the jugular?  They had it all planned out. So why did this seem like the most idiotic idea on the planet?

“Nathan Ford.”

The man looked around the meeting place like he was thinking this was a setup.  She had chosen what she thought would be more neutral ground, giving him just a bit of an advantage. Some place out of the way where no one would know he had been there. 

The lighting was low, the fire roaring. She could tell by the dim light that his cheeks were turning a bit pink as she stared at him. Was it the fact that he was too warm in his long coat or the fact that he was staring right back at her, like this was a challenge in the making?

“Annie Kroy. Not sure why I’m here.”

“All in due time.”

She had planned the perfect evening.  Butter him up with a nice dinner, flirt with him a little, then hit him with a proposal that would lure him in at just the right time.  This was business, mostly.  She had dressed simply, nothing too overt or revealing except for the slit at the side of her dress. Her hair was artfully arranged on the top of her head. The only really daring thing she had enhanced were her lips.  Fire engine red was what the tube of lipstick had read.  And now that’s exactly what he was staring at as she stood mere inches from him. Where would this lead?

“You know, you could have just asked.”

She had hoped he wouldn’t complain about how he had arrived. She had to keep this place a secret, hence the small issue of having him kidnapped, bag placed over his head, and driven on a journey so he could never figure out where this place was.

“Now isn’t this a bit more amusing, Ford.”

Nate rubbed his arm like it was hurting. “Yeah, amusing,” he mumbled back at her.  “What do you want?”

“What do I want?  The question of the hour now isn’t it?”

“Quit playing games. Out with it.”

Even though he seemed subdued now, she could tell by his stance that he would take each and every advantage to get out of there if he could.  She’d have to work on that, entice him to stick around. For all intense purposes, they were locked in, at least for the night and probably the next day too. It might take a lot to convince him to join her. Just in case, she had been told. She also hated being trapped. This was the only way.

“I have a proposal for you.”

“I’m out. I’m done. You know that.”

His hair was longer than the first time she’d met him. It curled riotously on his head, sprinkled with a few grey hairs here and there. His face, which was usually clean-shaven back in the day, was scruffy and unkept.  His clothes seemed to hang on him, like he’d lost weight. She knew he had lost some weight, but also knew it was because he wasn’t some pencil pusher now. She expected to find, well, she hated to admit she knew he had been pushing the envelope on working out. He was waiting for something to happen, where as before he was at the top of his game. Slicked back hair and nice shoes were not his norm now.  He was ready to do battle. And she wanted to offer him the opportunity to complete his task, once and for all.

“Yes. I’d heard,” Annie completed, knowing exactly what had happened to him.

“So why all the drama?”

“Let’s just say I needed to speak with you, privately.”

She flashed back to the last time they had spoken. It had been charged to say the least.  She still had the memory of how his lips felt against hers in that back alley, as he pushed her up against a brick wall, trapping her as his body ground her into a puddle of goo.  It had been quick and not completed.  Mere minutes that she had cherished and had frequently remembered in her dreams.  He was a different man then.

“A job? As I said…”

“I know. That you’re out of the game.  I know what happened. And I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want your sympathy,” he growled out, body tense.

“Duly noted,” Annie softly replied as she walked over to the window to the outside.  The glass was bullet proof and shaded so that no one could see on the inside, but she wouldn’t tell him that.  Every precaution had been taken.

“Again?  Why?”

He was getting agitated, hands now in his pockets, feet shuffling back and forth like he was going to run if he could. He couldn’t and didn’t know that.  She needed to placate him, at least until she told him what she wanted out of him.

Now wasn’t that a loaded question? There were so many things she wanted and needed out of Nate Ford.  His trust, his loyalty, his mind, and possibly his body, but she wouldn’t count on that last bit. She might have to use hers to convince him to help her. She had been prepared for that from the get-go.  Prostituting herself out was never off the board when it came to him.  She just had hoped he would come to the same conclusion without that happening. 

“Would you like a drink?” Change the subject, keep him guessing.

“Brought my own,” he said as he pulled the flask out of his coat pocket.

They had let him keep that one thing. Everything else was taken from him, including the weapon he had stored on his person.  They hadn’t told her where, but she could guess. Nowadays, he would need that just to survive.

She watched him swallow a long drink. Instead of putting it away, he thrust it forward, offering her a taste. She took it gingerly, tilting it up. His eyes never strayed from hers. 

Whiskey. His choice of beverage. It wasn’t what she would choose but needs must.  If drinking with him would get him to open up to her, then she would do what she had to do. His hand brushed up against hers as she handed it back to him, sending sparks down her arm. It was always that way with them. The looks were always heated, their few exchanges making her blood boil. It never went beyond that.  A few touches, that kiss in the alley, then nothing. He was loyal, to a fault, even though his so-called wife was not. Or ex-wife as she was now called.  One more thing that he tossed aside once everything went to shit on him. Good riddance, Annie thought.  The ex-wife didn’t deserve him.  Now on to more pleasant thoughts.

“So, what have you been up to these past few years?

Nate smirked at her, then laughed as he stowed the flask back in his pocket.

“You were never one for small talk, Annie.”

“Indulge me.”

“You already know the answer to that question.”

“Indeed, I do, Ford.  Any detail you might wanna…”

Before she could finish the sentence, he yanked her up against him, flush.  It stole the breath from her.

“What kind of game are you playing?”

She really wished he wouldn’t have done that, ask her a question in that voice of his. It was low and threatening and made her want him more than she did when he had walked in that door.

“I never play games,” she answered back, hoping that her voice was steady enough.

“Oh, I’m not a betting man usually, but I know you. You always have something up your sleeve, Annie.”

“A job, Ford.  That’s all.”

“And if you’re lying to me?” he said into her ear, making her shiver.

She wasn’t lying to him, well, mostly not lying to him.  It was a job, just not exactly what he might envision. She’d get to that much later, when the time was right. Right now, all she wanted to do was turn her head and show him how much she had missed him.

“Then you can turn me over your knee and spank me among other things.”

Now the blush that had happened before when she had stared at him came back full force, now encompassing his ears. She absolutely loved doing that to him.  It had happened once before, even before the alley confrontation, the first time she met him in Prague.  The crisp white shirt he had on made it stand out even more than it did right then.  He was now dressed all in black, shirt unbuttoned at the top to reveal a peak of chest underneath.  Then he was decked out in all his finery, a tux that fit like a glove, probably worth thousands.  Unlike now, where his wrinkled clothes looked to be taken off the floor to throw on without a thought to them.

He smiled at her, like he thought she was joking for just a minute. Only his eyes darkened, his cheeks reddened, and his hands tightened his hold on her. 

“You wish.”

“Among other things,” she repeated.

His large hand came up to cup her cheek, thumb stroking at the side of her mouth as it did. The other hand that had been at her back started to inch its way down until it ended up exactly where she wanted it to be. She almost groaned in pleasure as she felt the warmth of it through her dress.

“You want me to join you,” he finally said, not realizing the many implications of what he’d just announced.

“Among other things,” she again repeated as she slowly brought her head forward, hoping he’d take the hint.

It didn’t take him long to take the bait, lips crashing down on hers. Took him long enough, she thought as he devoured her, hand tightening on the side of her face. His tongue snaked out to duel with hers, finally with a groan escaping from her as he did. They went on like this for several minutes before coming up for air. Instead of parting, he continued his assault by tilting her head just slightly to gain access to her neck.

Her hands were not steady as she worked them inside his coat, hoping for some skin to skin contact. He flinched slightly once she pulled up his shirt, fingers grazing right above his pants. Damn, she should have opted for the more revealing dress because now he had no access to her front whatsoever.  His hand had started to work the dress up her back to gain him some leverage.  The coat ended up on the floor, as did the buttons on his shirt as she popped them as quickly as she could.  She thought he’d complain if just a little. He was too busy with his hands and mouth to even notice.

“Strip,” she growled in his ear, gaining his attention finally.

“What?”

“Take the rest of your clothes off. Now,” she commanded.  Better to get the upper hand now instead of trying later. 

Nate Ford liked to control everything. She had noticed early on that controlling him would be key if this was going to work. Why not start now?

It took mere seconds for the shirt to come the rest of the way off and the pants to be down around his ankles. When it came to sex, men could always be counted on being quick and ready for action. He was no exception. Kicking his shoes and socks away, the pants were now pooled at his feet. The only thing he had on were his boxers. Even those were black. 

“And,” he managed to get out, only not completing his sentence as she plunged her hand inside, wrapping around him.  “Oh god, careful.”

Knowing she almost made him come too soon, she lessened her hold on him, but didn’t let go. Sliding down, she took the boxers with her as she dropped to her knees. As she made her way back up, her silky dress made contact, making him hiss in pleasure.

“Not sure how long I can do this,” he panted back. “It’s been…,” he hesitated, “a while.”

Turning, she led him to the bed.  As slowly as she could, she unzipped the dress and dropped it to the floor. Her underwear didn’t cover much, but she left it on for now.  Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled him so that she was almost touching, but not quite.

“How long?” she asked as she cupped his backside.

“A year, maybe more.”

Damn, was all she could think.  This was a man that bedded many a woman back in the day, before he was married, before she had even known about him. He was a player, pulling so many women into his orbit, that his reputation had him with a different woman almost every night. That had changed once he was betrothed to Maggie.  She was rich, beautiful and cold as ice, Annie had heard. Why he had tied himself to such a woman was idiotic at best. Maybe it was to garner some sort of legitimacy for him. Being part of a crime family made him not the best catch in the world.  He had tried for several years to stay out of it all, living the high life without being a part of the mayhem that it entailed. He was a party boy, until being drawn back into it by his father.

She watched as his member twitched as she breathed hot air on it on purpose.  His hand came down to bury itself in her hair, like he really wanted to urge her forward. Bringing her finger up, she traced it down a vein she found, watching as he threw his head back. Maybe he was right. He wouldn’t last that long.

Instead of crawling up the bed and letting him get on with it, she decided that wasn’t the best course of action. He needed release and that’s what she’d give him. Before even giving him a warning, she had him inside her mouth as far as she could go.  He groaned loudly, not caring at that point what she was doing to him.

Annie usually hated giving blow jobs. They were often messy, and the man usually thought it was time to take over and thrust like mad until completion.  Nate just stood there, both hands now on her head, but that was it. He was letting her take charge. To say she was literally scarred from other encounters was saying quite a bit.  He was letting her lead. As she looked up at him, she noticed how he looked back at her. His eyes were large, pupils dilated.  Reaching up, she raked her hands through the hair on his chest, finding the nipple and flicking it with her fingernail. She literally had only been working him over for a few minutes when she felt him tighten up. It had been a long time for him.

“Annie, almost…” he got out, giving her an option to finish him without her mouth. Only she didn’t take him up on it.

He did take to moving against her now, just a little as he went over the edge. This was not in the plan. She was to talk to him, convince him to join her in a job. As he shouted his release and as she swallowed down all she could, she realized that it was so much more. His hands had popped a few pins out of her hair, sending curls cascading down the sides of her neck. He carded his hands through these as he finished up.

“Oh god, are you… I mean, that was,” Nate started, attempting to talk while panting.

She was sure she probably left bruises on his ass with the one hand that hung on as he emptied himself. He never complained, although he was quite busy at that moment.  She just hoped she hadn’t drawn blood.  Slowly she released him, letting her head drop to the side on his hip, trying to draw her own breath as she did. Instead of letting him go, she placed several small kisses on his hip bone, noticing just how skinny he had become. He was never a big guy, tall and lean.  Except when he was married to Maggie, he had taken on a bit of weight. Now he had lost all of that and more. 

Tipping her head up with his fingers, he stroked her face and mouth for a few minutes, looking down at her in awe as he did.

“You didn’t have to,” Nate started.

“It was completely apparent that it was needed,” she concluded, making him draw back just slightly.  She hoped that he wasn’t offended, so she instead reached up to pull on his arms.

He looked down at her suspiciously, like she had just done that to appease him rather than wanting to give him pleasure. She had wanted to appease him, but for selfish reasons.  He needed it and she was willing to give that to him. Now on to her. Instead of waiting for him to come to that conclusion, she slapped him hard on the ass and urged him forward.

“Now I expect payment in kind, Ford,” she said as she crawled back on the bed.

Now he was speechless. Good for him, she thought. Let him think all sorts of dirty thoughts as he gathered himself. Put that luscious mouth to good use for once.  Annie let one bra strap slip to her arm, fingers circling on her skin right above her breast.  There wasn’t much to the bra she had on, the cups sheer. He could definitely see what was underneath.  The nipples were already rock hard from grinding against him as she made him come.  She watched as he licked his lips, like he was starving to take them in his mouth. Only he stood there and watched as she stroked over the fabric, if you could call it that. 

“So, Ford. Get a move on.”

“Seems like you’re doing an admirable job of it,” he finally voiced.

“I’d rather have that mouth between my legs instead of telling me what to do, alright?”

She dropped her legs open to show him what he was missing. She hadn’t even asked him if he was going to go down on her. He damn well better, she thought.  It wasn’t tit for tat, but still. Something had to be done. This was not a one woman show for him to view.

As he slowly crawled up the bed, his lips and tongue traced along her legs. When he got to the inside of her thigh, he sucked until she groaned out in pleasure.  Only he skipped her outspread legs to kiss her stomach, up to her chest and finally to her lips, ravaging them once again. He didn’t mind that she had just given him the best blow job he’d probably ever had, or so she thought.  He was holding himself up and off her, kissing her like his life depended on this very moment.  Hell, if one could come from just kissing, this might be it.  Wrenching away from him so that she could breathe, he grinned down at her. If he didn’t hurry it up, she might spontaneously combust from the heat that he generated mere inches above her.

“Now. Please.”

“Annie Kroy never says please,” he stated as his mouth started to travel downwards.

Oh, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Yes, Annie had said please plenty of times, as had Jenny and Katherine and sometimes even Charlotte. Never Sophie though. Sophie never begged a day in her life. Now was not the time to think about all her aliases. Now was the time to get him to get a move on and have her shaking in her boots.

“Oh god, please now, you son of a bitch.”

“I love it when you curse at me.”

He lowered the cup on her bra and took the nipple in his mouth, tugging on it as he did.

“Fuck,” she sighed as he did.

He took his time with each of them, tugging the blasted bra off finally. She had taken to burying her hand in his hair, pulling from him groans of pleasure as she did. She’d have to remember that if they ever did this again.  She hoped that they did this again, many, many times again.

He took his time kissing down her body until he finally made it to his destination. Only he looked up at her, like he was asking permission.

“Please,” she chanted.

“Please what?”

“Please make me come, you bastard.”

His tongue flicked out, barely touching, but it made her arch her back.  That’s when he got down to work, lips sucking. As his left hand came back up to circle around her nipple, his right fingers joined his mouth. He thrust up one finger, curling it just so inside of her. It was such a delicious climb, she wondered if she wouldn’t just explode once it was over.  He had spread her legs wide to have complete access to everything. She was sure she was so wet that it was soaking through the sheets, but who cared at that moment.  He was doing an admirable job at pleasuring her. She knew he had it in him to do this. Why had they never gone all the way? His loyalty, her hang-ups, both of their jobs, competing against each other. Any number of things always came into play. Now it was just the two of them, a locked door and his fingers buried deep inside her. He spread her wetness everywhere as his tongue kept up its assault.  Two fingers penetrated her again as another one rubbed at her other entrance, just the tip pushing through.  She could feel the orgasm building as he thrust his fingers in and out of her, the other one gently opening her up. She never had someone do that to her. Sure, she’d had anal before, but thought it painful and quite unnecessary. Whatever he was doing, it was working because it didn’t take long for her to crest so hard, her limbs shook in release. He kept up his onslaught, didn’t stop thrusting or sucking until she crested again, shouting his name as she did.  She was sure his head was going to be sore after the way she grabbed at it, pulling with all her might as he made her fly with pleasure.

His fingers slowly left her, leaving her feeling a bit overwhelmed at the sensation of not being filled.  He stayed down there, leaving gentle kisses against her inner thighs and legs until finally rolling over and sighing.

“I knew that mouth had better things to do other than talk,” she joked as he scooted up the bed to lay beside her.

He traced her lips with his fingers, the ones that had made her come mere minutes before.  It was like he was challenging her to tell him no, but all she could do was open her mouth to suck it in. He smiled at her, yes, actually smiled at her as they lay side by side, legs intertwined. He caressed her backside, squeezing her buttocks here and there as he leaned over to kiss her silly once again.  She always minded when guys did this, not liking the taste of after. Now it was a different story. And this was a different man from any of the others.

“Is this…” he started, asking permission again.

“Yes, this is,” she said as she moved her mouth back to his.

They must have lain this way for hours, bodies touching, not moving away.

“I did order dinner, by the way,” Annie finally told him, hearing his stomach grumble.

“I could, you know,” he laughed.

Annie rolled over, pinning him to the mattress.  “I know that you could. Only if you want to go for round two, you need the calories.”

“Round two?” he asked.


	2. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophie pulls him in with an offer he can't refuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More explicit sex in this chapter.

Chapter Two--The Plan

They ate in virtual silence, with him looking at her and her challenging him by snaking her tongue out occasionally to wet her lips.  Neither had gotten dressed, just underwear and Nate’s shirt, which he had donned before they started to eat.  She saw the scars, the ones he had gotten that last time, right after the alley. There had been an explosion. He had disappeared. Was it his way of leaving it all behind?  Did he cause it or was it someone else? It was never determined though. He had so many enemies, sometimes including her. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“So?” he finally asked, putting his fork down. “You summoned me?”

“I did, Ford. Nate, I mean. If we’re going to be friends, that is.”

“I’m not sure we’ll ever be friends, Annie. Or whatever your name is.”

She knew not to flinch, knew not to give him the satisfaction of knowing who she truly was. If he knew, this meeting might not end up the way she wanted. She might end up dead.

“Annie. That’s my name.”

“Oh, I beg to differ.”

What did he know?

“On to the business at hand. I have an offer to make you.”

His smirk was not all the pleasant. She’d love to make that go away, make him look at her like he did as he came.  That might not ever happen now.  This was why she hadn’t wanted to bring sex into the equation.

“Go on.”

“I need your skills on a job. I have the personnel. What I don’t have is the one key piece. I need for you to run the job, oversee it to its completion.”

He eyed her, looking her up and down.

“And? Because there’s always an and on jobs like these.”

“I need for you to take down Damien Moreau. He’s become, well, a liability.”

“You want to take out the competition.”

Oh, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“Something like that.”

“Your team?”

“Eliot Spencer.”

“What?  He worked for Moreau.  Wait a minute. He still does.”

“My inside man.”

Her plant, or should she say, the government’s plant. Semantics.

“And?”

“Alec Hardison.”

“Ah, the hacker. Tried to recruit him myself.  Heard he’d gone straight.  Guess he hasn’t.”

“He’s done a few quite jobs for me, on the side. This one he’s all in.”

One of the best, she thought.  Trained to infiltrate the most sophisticated systems in the world. Not that she’d tell him that.

“Parker.”

“The Parker. No one knows what she looks like. And she’s insane.”

“Correct on both accounts.  Not an issue though. I have her on a leash.”

Didn’t want to tell him that Parker was a genius, but he probably could figure that out for himself once he got to know her. She was too young and untested to run this group, but with time, Annie knew she’d be a mastermind in her own right.  Of course, on the right side of the law. And she was probably a bit insane, but wasn’t Nate too?

“So, you need me to make sure none of them mess this up.”

“Exactly.  First, I need for you to steal something. Once you do that, then they’ll be ready.  Kick the tires, as you Americans say.  Victor Dubenich has something that I want.”

“He’s one of Moreau’s lieutenants.  What does he have?”

“Plans to several of Moreau’s hideouts, plus some plans that I might need for later.  Get those, and that gives us a way in.”

“What about Spencer? I don’t trust him to turn against us.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem.”

Since Eliot had been under deep cover for a few years, well, five years, but who was counting, Moreau trusted him, to a point.  Now he was on the outs with the man, so this cover story of trying to work his way back into the fold was going to work. Nate just didn’t need to know the who and the why.  Eventually he probably would find out. She would have to be prepared for this.

“And what is in it for me?”

“Payback and a lot of money, if you take it.  And if we make this work, lots of money and a ton of payback.”

“Dubenich will go down?”

“Along with Ian Blackpoole. That’s what you wanted to know.”

Annie could literally see the smoke coming out of Nate’s ears.  Ian Blackpoole was one of the reasons that his wife, now ex-wife, was gone. Maybe that wasn’t such a great loss.  The biggest reason why his son was dead.  Kill the son, get the woman to your side, and then blame the son’s father for his death. 

“They’re working together, on this deal.  We steal it out from underneath them, and then we take it for ourselves.”

“What’s the job?”

“Stealing plans for a plane and the ones for Moreau’s hideouts.  One job will cover the other. They’ll never know.  Blackpoole will be blamed.  Dubenich will be arrested because we will somehow leak to the authorities that it was his job in the first place. You game?”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“It’s almost like you’re the good guy.”

Nate smiled at her. “Almost.”

If he only knew. Maybe he did and didn’t care about the outcome.  Annie Kroy, aka Sophie Devereaux, was one of the good guys.  Along with her ragtag group of agents. Deep, deep cover. She’d do anything to take Moreau down once and for all. If it took dragging this man, this criminal into it kicking and screaming, she’d get the job done.  She’d saved all the others from a life of crime, why not him?

“White knight, black king?”

He grabbed her hand and held on to her wrist.

“I’m whatever you want me to be. Now we have some unfinished business, I do believe.”

“Oh, and what is that?”

He was feeling her wrist as her pulse started to race once again.  Bringing his mouth to her wrist, he sucked on that very spot, making her mouth go dry with anticipation.

“To bury myself so deep inside of you that you scream. Again.”

“I’m not sure who will do the screaming, Ford.  You seemed to have done that quite a bit an hour before.”

“Challenge accepted.”

Sophie, aka Annie, walked over to him, straddling his lap.  She didn’t want to drop character. It was so hard sometimes to maintain that hard of an edge. Annie was much more up front, much harsher than Sophie ever was. It was all an act, one that she knew she could use to appeal to Nate Ford.  Yes, he acted sophisticated and worldly. But having come from the background that he did, appealing to his baser instincts seemed to be a better plan. 

As she ground herself against him, feeling how hot and hard he was becoming, she knew that this was a big advantage. Once he found out who she really was, he’d be angry and throw her by the wayside. By then, the job would be completed, and she would have what she wanted.  The sex would just be a bonus, one way to control him.  She yanked on his hair, tugging his head back to expose his neck to her teeth.

“Oh no. You were in control the last time.  My turn.”

Picking her up, he carried her across the room, tossing her down to bounce on the bed.

“You emptied my pockets.”

“What? Not sure what you’re talking about.”

“The only thing left was the flask, which by the way, was much appreciated.”

That’s when Sophie realized what he was talking about.  She pointed to the bedside table’s drawer.

“Always prepared, I see.”

“Not that I’ve had the ability to use any of it.”

His eyebrows shot up at her statement.

“Any of it?”

He yanked the drawer open to find not only the condoms he wanted to use (practical as Nate Ford was), there was also other interesting things in there that she thought might be needed to convince him to join her.  It only took a blow job. Such a simple man in that department.

Taking each thing out, he examined them, smirking her way as he did.

“Lube, dildo, vibrator, plug.  The assortment package I see.”

The way he said that was like he thought he could use every single item on her and only on her.  Now she was worried.

“Not that you have to…”

Before she could finish, he had his hand wrapped around her throat.  He wasn’t going to harm her, she figured, just give her a warning.

“If you’re playing me at any point in time, just remember all the things that I am about to do to you right now.  Use on you. Relish using on you. Make you come until you can’t walk tomorrow after I use these things on you. You’ll never have that again if you cross me.”

She knew that would probably happen, but why not keep him happy in the moment?

“I understand.”

“Now get rid of those scraps of fabric.”

“I’ll have you know that these cost a pretty penny.”

Her accent slipped just ever so slightly as she said this to him.

“Well, miss high and mighty, you might want to slip out of them before I decide to make them unusable. They don’t look that sturdy.”

Was he just trying to push her buttons to see how far she’d go? She already went a bit too far on this job. She had offered sex before to people she worked with if just to pull them in, whether they were male or female.  But it was never like this.  Not something they taught at spy school, but something they wholeheartedly encouraged off the record all the same.  Her friend Tara once taught her that making a man compliant by giving him an orgasm was better than holding a gun on him.  She wondered if that was the case this time.  Would Nate Ford be more compliant if she let him do whatever he wanted with her body?  It was a gamble she was willing to take.

“Are you in? No pun intended.”

He wanted her permission?  To take her to new heights of pleasure?  To give her more orgasms than she’d had in the previous two years?  Because she was in such a drought at the moment, that last one would have been enough.  She hadn’t had to use the seduction method in such a long time. Now she was all in, if just to figure out what made Nate Ford tick.

Grabbing him while she was on her knees, she kissed him fiercely, just so he knew she was all in and then some.  If this was the only way to secure his loyalty, then damn the torpedoes.  Or whatever the saying was.

“We’ll see which one of us screams first. All bets are on the table.”

“Is that a challenge? Because I seem to hold all the cards right now,” Nate said as he held the vibrator in one hand and the plug in the other.

“Doesn’t mean that any of those can’t be used on you.”

“Oh, no. The pleasure is all yours in this game you’re playing.  I’m wondering how many times I can make you come. Care to guess?”

Shit. This was why she knew this would be a challenge with him.  He wanted a little competition, well he got it.  She’d win in the end.

“Take your best shot, Ford.”

“Well, that means I have a little prep work to do.”

Sophie’s eyebrows shot up at this. He didn’t really mean what she thought he really meant.

“Whatever happens, I won’t hurt you,” Nate softened.  “Remember that.”

Sophie swallowed a little, not wanting to show any vulnerability with him, but knowing that she might have to do that to get what she wanted.

“You know what you’re doing?” she asked.

“Yeah, I do.”

Maybe the rumors were true, that he had worked his way through a ton of lovers. He must have learned a few things along the way.

“Just relax and enjoy.”

“Don’t tell me you won’t enjoy this.”

“Oh, I will. Don’t doubt that.  Bathroom break before?  Looks like you already have the tub available.”

Nate pointed to the large tub at the other end of the room.

“Fill it up while I use the powder room.”

Then she could text the others to tell them it was a go.

While she heard the splash of water from the other room, Sophie quickly texted the others that her idea was coming to fruition. They hadn’t been as hopeful as she was. Completing her toiletries, she opened the door to find him already deep into the steaming water, head thrown back against the tub.  Both would fit comfortably. That’s why she had this installed many eons ago.  Seduction required a bit of finesse sometimes.  A tub always helped. Now down to business.


	3. Nate Ford

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate takes a bit of control back from Sophie.

Chapter Three--Nate Ford

Dammit, what was he going to do?  She was expertly seducing him into her schemes with her body and her mind.  Mainly with her body now.  He really relished the fact that she actually had a mind to go with the luscious body.

He was out of the game. He had retired, gone on a binge, changed his manner, his name, everything.  He wasn’t known as Nate Ford now.  Just like her real name wasn’t Annie Kroy. He wouldn’t tell her that he knew she was playing him. It just might be interesting to see how far she was going to take this.

Seducing him though? What were they teaching them at spy school these days? He’d known for quite some time that she played a bad guy, but she really wasn’t one.  He spotted that quickly the first time he met her.  A little digging and then bing, he had the information that he needed. He lied his ass off to the others about it because she wasn’t really causing any damage to him or his organization. She was just using him for information.  He really didn’t care if she took down the others.  More for him.  Only he was done with it all. They could have their dirty money and then some. 

He had never wanted to take over the family business. His father had insisted, to the point of finding him an heiress who wanted to be a part of it all.  Maggie fit in perfectly. She was from wealth. She wanted more of everything. He could offer that.  She seduced him, got herself pregnant, then offered to marry herself to him, for a price. What he got out of it was respectability, and then a child, who he loved with all his heart. That came crashing down, as did his business too.  Maggie swooped in, gathered up his holdings, and handed them off to Victor Dubenich and Ian Blackpoole.  Now she was on Ian’s arm, controlling as much of his empire as she could. Dubenich let her play at it all, but in the end, he called the shots. Killing his son had been the one thing that would take Nate down.  They made it look like it was an accident, but Nate figured out in the end that Ian had ordered it. Maggie might not know he did, but she was complicit. 

Moreau was linked to Dubenich, supplying him with the money and the means for a substantial cut of the profits.  It was a win-win situation. Nate had never wanted to take money from the bastard, knowing getting into bed with Moreau would be a big mistake.  If taking them all down would help the government, then so be it. 

Why had she offered herself up like this? If she had explained exactly what she needed done, he would have agreed. Having those three on a team? How she had recruited them all to work together since they all worked as ghosts must have been a feat.  He’d have to ask her some day how she did it.  It had to be money. That’s all that appealed to Parker.  Spencer wouldn’t give a shit about the money and Hardison could steal that kind of money on a Monday and be done with it all.  But Hardison was a good guy. He knew that for a fact.  Spencer was not, doing the government’s dirty wet work in addition to once working for Moreau.  Parker worked alone, always. Why had they all agreed to work as a team?  Annie, aka Sophie as she was known, must be a better grifter than even he imagined.

Eventually he’d tell her that he knew about her scheme. Let her squirm for the moment.  A little pleasure between two adults would sweeten the pot. Sure, she’d be furious once he told her what he knew. Now it was all about how many times could he make her come and how far he would push her.  The rumors about how many women he had bedded were just rumors. He had girlfriends before Maggie, but not that many, and he was loyal when he was together with them.

Maggie was cold though.  Sex to her was a chore, not something to share. He hadn’t realized that until after they were married, cutting him off save for a few times here and there.  He tried to buck up and think about his son and he did for a while.  It got more and more difficult to understand why she had married him in the first place.  It was all about power to her. Keep him in his place with the kid, which worked wonderfully since Nate loved his son dearly.

It all came crashing down that night. The explosion had injured him and killed his son. It had been deemed an accident by investigators, but they were bought off.  His son had died in his arms that night. Everyone who was involved would pay dearly. It just wasn’t the right time, until now.  Now he had the means to make it right, to go after the people who had killed his son and who had destroyed his empire.  Sure, that empire was dirty, but he fought fairly, and treated his people well.  Once Dubenich had taken over, his people had been either pushed out or killed. Mostly killed.  There weren’t many left of the old ways in Boston. 

This new team could do the job, if it all was planned correctly.  A hitter to cover their backs, a thief to steal what they needed stealing, and a hacker to help them all out while they were stealing or to cover their tracks.  Too much technology these days made it harder to be a criminal. Best to have an IT guy who could work some magic.  They were the best of the best. He just hoped he could trust them. And he hoped that he could trust Annie, aka Sophie. He knew her real name. Or whatever her real name was.

As she leaned back against him in the steaming water, he wondered why she was chosen for this job. Sure, she was a master at disguises and dialects. She could take on any accent, look any way someone would want.  She had taken down cartels, swindlers, even a terrorist or two.  They all came out saying that there was this woman. None of the descriptions matched at all, although if you looked for patterns, they were there. And Nate looked for patterns.

He had been recruited right out of college by several of the alphabet agencies. They really didn’t care of his past or his father’s dealings. He had taken a hard pass on them, knowing that getting involved in it would not be his way of doing things.  It wouldn’t be challenging enough.  Running his own thing, now that was challenging. At first, once his father had been convinced to turn over the family business or forced out since Nate had been instrumental in getting him arrested in the first place, he knew it would be a challenge holding onto everything that the Ford family had built.  If it wasn’t land deals, it was loan sharking. If it was loaning money to people, it was playing the fixer, which meant setting up people to do business. Nate was good at it.  He shied away from anything too awful, like prostitution, although he did collect money from them from time to time for protection. Drugs were another thing he hated.  So, he pushed that out to someone else in the business. He just didn’t have the stomach for it.  The other families liked the fact that he limited his scope so that they could do the other, more unsavory things in the city.  His hands weren’t as dirty as theirs were.  He controlled politicians, the docks and what came in and out. He controlled some of the unions, made sure they had better deals with the clients at large. Everyone made money in his schemes.  He might have made just a little more, but that was alright. Everyone stayed in their lane. Until Dubenich surfaced and screwed that all up.

Dubenich was Chicago money, but wanted to expand, thinking that Boston was ripe for the picking. The other families didn’t want to deal with him and told him so. So, he started literally picking them off one by one. Nate was too powerful at that point for Dubenich to touch him.  Plus, he really did not want the type of business Nate had built.  It took too much brains to make money off a land deal or swindle an official out of cash.  Until Dubenich decided that he wanted to be king of Boston.  It had been too easy to take down the other families.  Nate was a sitting duck.  Nate thought he was protected, but in the end, Dubenich wedeled his way into the society, helped ruin Nate’s reputation as a business man, destroyed his business in the process, and killed his only son.  The amount of revenge that Nate wanted to bestow this man was off the charts.  Blackpoole was included in this since he was Dubenich’s right hand man.  He had zeroed in on Maggie the first time he saw her. No matter how much charm and charisma Nate had, no matter how good-looking Nate must have been (he didn’t understand the appeal), no matter how ruthless Nate could be (which he wasn’t as much as Dubenich at the time), Nate would lose out every single time.  It was because he had a son that he cared about to the extreme.  Maggie knew that, had milked that, had tied him to her by that.  He had used proper protection but found out much later that she had sabotaged it on purpose to tie him to her.  That was one reason why he hadn’t had sex in forever. No sense in trusting any other woman or himself.

Now what was he going to do?  Sophie had all the protection. He had none. She didn’t look like the kind of woman that wanted kids or would even consider it.  Could he trust her?  He’d do everything in his power to make sure of that.  Only he couldn’t trust her. 

As he held her in his arms, he realized that the only way he’d feel comfortable was to have his wallet back. Sure, she could have gotten in there, but it was better than nothing if they finally went that route. He’d do everything but that with her and if he did, he’d pull out just in case.  No sense in chancing it.

“By the way,” Nate started, “I’m going to need my wallet back. It’s not that I don’t trust you, because I really don’t.”

They had taken everything from him when they kidnapped him.  Hopefully nothing had been tampered with.

“I understand.  It’s over on the dresser. Not touched except for taking it out of your pocket. My people needed to make sure you had no tracking devices on you.  You’re clean.”

He didn’t feel like she was lying to him, so he’d take her at her word.

 

Nate was as good as his word.  Making her come several times already, she would be putty in his hands. As she arched her back the last time, he felt that familiar pull as she tightened around him, making him go over the edge, intense orgasm washing over him.

His brain finally calmed, even after the third time.  The second time, with him thrusting as hard and fast as he could, wasn’t as all encompassing as this one was.  She was tight, sweet, and above all else, willing to let him do whatever he wanted. 

As he caressed her shoulder, trying to bring himself back down, he felt her hand in his. Her fingers were elegant, slender, but with a strength that he had never noticed. 

“You were right about not being able to walk.”

Her voice startled him out of his musings, making him realize that he should probably pull the rest of the way out of her to let her get cleaned up.

“Was that to your satisfaction?” he joked.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to.”

“All the others must have been doing it wrong.”

Instead of pushing him away, her fingers carded through his hair. Her back was smooth to the touch, neck available at any time for him to just bite down. Only he breathed her in as her fingers worked their magic.  As he slowly retreated, he felt her sigh instead of just hearing it.

“I hate to tell you this, but I think you’ve utterly ruined me for anyone else. That is going to be hard to top.”

Was she sincere or just feeding him a line to keep him around?  She did look thoroughly debauched lying on the bed, hair tangled all around her.  All the things from her assortment package lay here and there on the bed.

“I like having a willing participant.”

Or he liked having someone who actually enjoyed his company. It had been a long, long time since anyone had. He missed that feeling. He just hoped it was for real. Only he knew it wasn’t.  Sophie or Annie was a great grifter. Sex to her was just a means to an end.

As she stretched her arms above her head, he could see all the red marks he had put on her body.  From the bite mark on the side of her left breast, to the redness between them both where she had decided that he needed more incentive and still slick with lube, to the red mark on the side of her hip from him grinding his face, making her giggle with the sensation of his scratchy beard, she looked thoroughly done for.

They hadn’t taken much time cleaning up after the first time, but she hadn’t minded.  There was a flash of disappointment when he pulled out, emptying himself across her stomach and breasts, but she reeled it in as quickly as it came to her.  Even with the condom, he was taking no chances.  The second time, well, there was no way she’d get pregnant from what they’d just done.

“I didn’t hurt you?”

“Pleasantly sore.”

And sticky with lube and his come and whatever other juices that had been exchanged in the last few hours of sheer pleasure. After depositing the used condom from the last round, he reached his hand down to give her a hand up.

“Shower?”

“No funny business,” she told him as she reached for him.

“Sweetheart, I don’t think I could top that last one.”

Indeed, he really wanted to top that last one, particularly since he was so nervous that she’d reject him, push him away when he suggested what he had suggested. Only she didn’t, let him stretch her, then fill her. He nearly lost himself in it, feeling how hot and tight she was, remembering what she said about it not being good for her before.  It felt like electricity had jolted through him as she came that last time.

“As good as your word,” she told him as she pulled him toward the bathroom.

They took a real shower, helping wash all the hard to reach places, then settled down once the bed was cleared, and sheets changed. It felt good to just hold her, feel her softness and heat as she gently snored next to him. He thought about waking her up, having another go, but at that point, his body wasn’t cooperating.

As he drifted off to sleep, he realized that he could get used to this, having her in his bed, cuddled up against him, luscious body and stunning mind all his for the taking. But it was not meant to be. She was the enemy. And he was a thief, a criminal, the bad guy. Or so he thought.


	4. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did either one of them regret spending the night with each other?

Chapter Four--The Morning After

Sophie awoke with a start, warmth radiating on her back. A very male hand was holding her right breast but hadn’t moved in a little while.  Hot breath hit the back of her neck, while an impressive morning hard on warmed up her ass.  Should she take care of that for him or just leave it be until he completely woke up from his slumber?

Her throat was a bit sore from screaming so much the night before. He was right. She did scream, many times as a matter of fact.  The things he did to her body could never be topped. She was telling him the truth when she admitted to that. It had been a mistake to tell him that, but she had been speaking the truth when it came out.  Would he remember? Of course, he would.

He was as good as his word. He’d made her come fast and furiously right after that relaxing bath, using that damn dildo as he did. Then he proceeded to pound into her after she had almost made him come from being trapped between her breasts.  She got a bit of a scream out of him on that one.  Only he pulled out at the last second, even though he was prepared with that condom from his wallet. Yanking it off, he finished himself all over the place after making her come yet again.  It didn’t surprise her one bit. He was thoroughly gun shy when it came to having sex, particularly since his ex-wife had done a number on him. 

That third time for her was her putting a lot of trust in him and what he was doing.  He was thorough, readying her, then completing his task with a shout from him and a scream from her.  To say she was ruined for anyone else was an understatement.  It was like he wanted to enjoy every bit of her body because he would never get the opportunity ever again. 

He didn’t pull out that time, but there was no way to get pregnant. As he lay there caressing her, she thought he might never leave. At what felt like a bit of an intrusion at first made her feel sad and empty when he finally pulled out and got up from the bed.  She lay there, sticky, sweaty and looking a fright as he looked down at her in awe.  Something passed between them. Whether it was spent passion or something else, she didn’t know. 

Now was the hard part.  Did he know exactly what was going to be expected of him?  He was a bad guy, she was undercover. She had to gently handle him to get the most out of his skillset.  Whether they fucked again was entirely up to him. If it was up to her, they’d never leave her hideaway.  He could pleasure her with his mouth, his hands, his body whenever she wanted. 

“Hmm, sorry,” she heard behind her.

“Did I wake you?”

“No. Jeez, sorry about the…,” he started.

“You’re a guy. Comes with the territory.”

His callused hand moved over her, making circles over her skin until he had her sighing in delight.

“It’s a nice way to wake up,” she told him.

“Sore?”

“Not enough to say no.”

He was still a bit groggy, but it didn’t take him long to thrust up into her, finding her already wet and ready for him.  He never took his eyes off her as he found a rhythm, arm wrapped underneath her body as the other one danced over all the sensitive spots. It was when he was ready to pull out again that she stopped him.

“I can’t,” he groaned as she moved her hips back against him.

“I’m protected. I’m alright.”

“I can’t. Even a chance.”

Shaking her head yes, like she agreed, but didn’t really, he finished outside her body as his fingers brought her to completion.

“I wish,” she started, hoping that he knew she sympathized with him.

“No wishing. Only feeling.”

That afternoon, she had him taken back to wherever he wanted.

The job went off without a hitch, only the plans were not there. They’d have to find another way in, which they finally did, getting Dubenich arrested. It took a bit longer to take down Blackpoole, but they finally managed that, with Nate’s ex-wife’s help too.  Sophie could see how much in love he must have been with her, watching her play him like a fiddle as the con was finished.   Moreau was still out there, but Sophie would get to him in short order.

With their paychecks in hand, they all left, circling each other until they each walked their own way.  Nate had finally called her Sophie, but now he was gone from her life, probably for good.


	5. A New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will they find each other again?

Chapter Five--A New Normal

As a storm raged outside her hideaway, Sophie looked up at as the lightning flashed across the sky, waiting for the inevitable crash of thunder.

“You know, it doesn’t always thunder after.”

She hadn’t heard him enter. He was getting better at fooling her, honing his skills as he had worked with some of the best in the business.

“I thought you left.”

“I thought you had too.”

“How did you find me?”

“I have my sources.”

Nate looked disheveled, hair wet from the rain, overcoat sprinkled with water.

“What are we doing? I’m just, I don’t know who I am anymore.”

Sophie had liked playing the femme fatale to his white knight during the last year. Now it was all coming to an end.

“You’re Nate Ford.  White knight, black king. Thief, grifter. Whatever you want to be.”

“You’ve ruined me.”

“Oh, I think you ruined me all those years ago when you picked up my hand and kissed it. Remember that?”

“Was that Prague or Tuscany?”

“Both. Neither. Does it matter?”

It mattered to her, that he didn’t disappear like he said he would.

“You think they’d come back, just one more time?”

Sophie held up her phone to show him the number of texts that had appeared on her screen.

“We are burned here.”

“Always people in need. We don’t have to be here. Chicago? Nah.  We tried Los Angeles.”

“Too warm.”

“How about London?”

“Too close to home.”

“Washington, DC.”

“Too corrupt.”

“If you have any ideas, I’m game.”

“I think that if you give Hardison a few weeks of peace and quiet, he could come up with some fairly airtight aliases for us here.”

“Boston?”

“Boston.”

“It gets cold here.”

“I know that.”

“Snow.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“There’s this place. Now that’s a bonus.”

She had watched as they talked how much closer he’d gotten. After that initial wild few days of abandon, they hadn’t touched each other. He was angry at her for pulling him into her orbit, making him a good guy while she was pissed off at him for his little side jobs, telling him that in no uncertain terms that he had to stop being Nate Ford, crime boss.  He had forgiven her eventually. He stopped his forays too, satisfied with the jobs they were pulling.  Besides, he had enough money to last a lifetime from that first job with Dubenich.

“Do you remember?”

It was a game they played, like each one was trying to fool the other on what their pasts looked like. Of course, he remembered what they shared.

“It is etched in my brain for all eternity.”

Nate Ford could always say the right things at the right time, when he wanted to, that was.  Now was one of those times.

As the storm raged outside, dropping rain by the boatload, Nate took her to bed, not trying to outdo what he had accomplished before, but to show her that he indeed wanted her in his life, no matter the fact that she was the good guy and he was only sometimes bad when the situation warranted it. 


End file.
